Misinformation spreading online after war erupts in Israel

 ISRAEL DECLARES WAR AGAINST HAMAS –

AFTER THE TERRORIST GROUP AND GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION –

LAUNCHED AN UNPRECEDENTED ATTACK OVER THE WEEKEND – KILLING HUNDREDS OF ISRAELIS.

NOW – MORE THAN A THOUSAND PEOPLE HAVE DIED SINCE THE ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT STARTED – INCLUDING AT LEAST NINE AMERICANS.

SO WHERE DOES THE UNITED STATES STAND ON ALL THIS?

IS OUR GOVERNMENT SENDING AID?

IS OUR MILITARY GOING TO HELP ISRAEL?

AND WHAT SOURCES CAN WE TRUST ONLINE?

HERE’S WHAT WE KNOW…

THE WHITE HOUSE CONFIRMS…

PRESIDENT BIDEN SPOKE WITH ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER –BENJAMIN NETANYAHU– OVER THE WEEKEND AND REITERATED TO HIM – THE US’S COMMITMENT TO SUPPORTING THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT AND PEOPLE.

RIGHT NOW — THE PENTAGON IS SENDING ASSISTANCE… U-S SECRETARY OF DEFENSE -LLOYD AUSTIN- DETAILS…

THE U-S IS SENDING THE USS GERALD FORD AIRCRAFT CARRIER strike group – ALONG WITH 5,000 U-S SAILORS, SEVERAL FIGHTER AIRCRAFT AND MUNITIONS TO THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN TO HELP DETER HAMAS TERRORIST FIGHTERS.

HERE’S WHAT’S NOT HAPPENING:  $8-BILLION IN EMERGENCY AID TO ISRAEL

A FAKE DOCUMENT APPEARED TO BE SIGNED BY PRESIDENT BIDEN CIRCULATED ONLINE OVER THE WEEKEND… SEEN BY THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE. 

HOWEVER – THE WHITE HOUSE CONFIRMS – THIS DOCUMENT IS FALSE.

ANY AID PACKAGE TO ISRAEL WILL NEED CONGRESSIONAL APPROVAL FROM BOTH CHAMBERS. 

AND THAT PLAN GETS TRICKY…

REPRESENTATIVE KEVIN MCCARTHY WAS OUSTED AS SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE LAST WEEK –

SO NOW… THE HOUSE CANNOT INTRODUCE NEW PIECES OF LEGISLATION…

WHICH MEANS – UNTIL THE HOUSE VOTES IN ANOTHER SPEAKER – ADDITIONAL AID CANNOT BE SENT TO ISRAEL.

IN THE MIDST OF CHAOS ON THE GROUND IN ISRAEL, MISINFORMATION IS SPREADING online OVER THE DEADLY ATTACKS. In some instances video views have hit the millions…

THIS VIDEO CIRCULATED ON ‘X’ HAS BEEN SEEN OVER 10 MILLION TIMES. 

IT DEPICTS MEMBERS OF IRANIAN’S PARLIAMENT CHANTING “DEATH TO AMERICA”.
THIS ISN’T NEW. IT WAS IN RESPONSE TO THE KILLING BY THE UNITED STATES OF ONE ITS MOST INFLUENTIAL COMMANDERS, QASEM SOLEIMANI, IN A DRONE STRIKE NEAR BAGHDAD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.

THIS VIDEO WAS RECORDED IN 2020., THERE HAS BEEN NO RECORDED SIMILAR ACTIVITY SINCE SATURDAY’S ATTACK.

A VIDEO DEPICTING ROCKETS BEING FIRED BY HAMAS TOWARD ISRAEL GARNERED NEARLY 2 MILLION VIEWS ON ‘X’. 

BUT IN REALITY – THE VIDEO IS THREE YEARS OLD – AND FROM SYRIA.

AND THERE’S PLENTY OF FAKE NEWS ONLINE.

WE JUST GAVE YOU THREE FAKE NEWS EXAMPLES BEING CIRCULATED…

 WHEN IN REALITY – THERE ARE HUNDREDS, IF NOT THOUSANDS OF SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS PEDDLING MISINFORMATION.

X’S COMMUNITY NOTES ARE USED TO COMBAT MISINFORMATION ON IT’S PLATFORM,

BUT WITH THE SITUATION IN ISRAEL CHANGING HOUR-BY-HOUR IT’S UNCLEAR IF COMMUNITY NOTES WILL BE ABLE TO KEEP UP WITH THE INFLUX OF FAKE OR MISLEADING VIDEOS AND POSTS. 

THE OPEN SOURCE PROJECT RECENTLY SAID IT WAS WORKING ON THE ISSUE TO SPEED UP HOW FAST IT CAN ADDRESS MISINFORMATION ON THE PLATFORM. 

X’S OWNER ELON MUSK ISN’T HELPING THINGS.  AS DETAILS WERE UNFOLDING OVER THE WEEKEND – THE TECH BILLIONAIRE DIRECTED HIS MORE THAN 150-MILLION FOLLOWERS TO GET THEIR WAR UPDATES FROM ACCOUNTS THAT HAVE BEEN KNOWN TO SPREAD MISINFORMATION IN THE PAST. 

MUSK DELETED THE POST AFTER THREE HOURS. IT WAS SEEN BY 11 MILLION ACCOUNTS.